Just because unlocking your phone is legal doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy to do, though. Let’s dive into how to unlock a phone and break free of your ties to a carrier.

What you’ll need

Before you set your mind on unlocking your phone, you’ll need to keep in mind that doing so isn’t a fast process. Unlocking your phone can take several phone calls and hours of work. It’s also a good idea to unlock your phone before you leave your current carrier.

With that in mind, there are a few nuggets of information you’ll need:

Overseas deployment papers, if the nature of your inquiry involves you being in the military and wanting to unlock your phone before your contract is up

Now that you have that information, let’s see how each carrier handles unlocking your phone.

Unlocking a Verizon phone

Even though Verizon uses CDMA instead of GSM for channel access, most of Big Red’s devices come with an unlocked SIM card slot. According to Verizon, its 4G LTE devices aren’t locked, and if you want to bring one of them to another carrier, there is no code you need to rejigger the phone’s radios for other networks.

Even though SIM-equipped Verizon phones can be used on AT&T, T-Mobile, or other GSM carriers, the phone will need to have roaming GSM radios in order to make phone calls and send texts in the United States. While most recent Verizon handsets will work just fine on American GSM bands, your mileage will vary when it comes to LTE support.

Verizon doesn’t have an online method to make an unlock request, but you can call 800-711-8300 and request a SIM unlock.

The procedure’s a bit different for postpaid 3G devices on Verizon’s network. Most aren’t locked, but require that you enter a code — either “000000” or “123456” — to enable third-party cellular compatibility. Verizon’s specially branded World Devices, on the other hand, can’t be unlocked without the assistance of a store tech, which you can request by dialling the company’s support line at 800-922-0204.

Unlocking a prepaid device can get a bit dicier. A vast majority of the prepaid 3G phones on Verizon can be unlocked with the code “000000” or “123456,” but Verizon’s off-the-shelf Phone-in-the-Box prepaid handsets are locked into the network for 12 months after activation. And, as with Verizon’s World Phones, you have to call Verizon support at 888-294-6804 in order to start the process.

Unlocking an AT&T phone

The process of unlocking a phone from AT&T is a bit more complicated than with Verizon — but while you’ll need to jump through a few more hoops, it’s still not a difficult process to complete.

If you’re a current customer, your current contract or installment plan must be fully paid off (including early termination fees).

It must not have been reported lost or stolen.

It must be attached to an account with “good standing” — i.e., one not associated with fraudulent activity.

It must not be active on a different AT&T customer’s account.

It must have been active for at least 60 days, with “no past due or unpaid balance.”

If you’ve upgraded early, you must wait for the 14-day “buyer’s remorse” period (30 days for business customers) to pass before unlocking your old phone.

Unlike Verizon, AT&T offers an unlock request form you can fill out online. You can either enter your AT&T mobile number — or if you’ve already switched, the IMEI number from your AT&T device will also do. After submitting this form, you’ll have 24 hours to click the link within the confirmation email sent to you, then AT&T will send instructions for unlocking your device via email within two business days of the request being made. AT&T also no longer has a hard unlock limit per year, so unless you’re sending a hundred unlock requests a month you shouldn’t need to worry about being flagged as suspicious.

In the case of prepaid devices (anything on AT&T Prepaid/GoPhone), AT&T requires that they’ve been active for at least six months.

If you’re in the military, you can scratch off the third requirement on AT&T’s list — you won’t need to complete your contract or installment plans, so long as you’re able to email AT&T your TCS or PCS (Temporary/permanent change of station) documents.

It must be attached to an account that has not been canceled, and is in “good standing”

It must have been active at least 40 days on the requesting line

If the device is on a service contract, at least 18 consecutive monthly payments must have been made

If using T-Mobile’s Equipment Installment Plan, or if your phone is leased through JUMP! On Demand, all payments must be made and the device must be fully paid for

You’ve made fewer than two unlock requests, per line, in a single year

T-Mobile may request to see proof of purchase

If your handset is a prepaid model, it’ll need to have been active for at least one year, and the account associated with it must have had more than $100 in refills.

So long as you satisfy those requirements, you can use the T-Mobile Mobile Device Unlock Android app to complete the unlocking process. Alternatively, you can unlock your phone through a live chat with a T-Mobile customer representative, or by calling 611 from a T-Mobile device, or 1-877-746-0909 from any other phone.

Sprint Forward prepaid devices also have some additional requirements:

The device must not have been reported as lost or stolen or otherwise flagged as ineligible to be unlocked

The device has been active on the associated account for at least 12 months with the account active at that time

Sprint Forward devices also need to be unlocked by a customer service representative — but don’t worry, you can contact Sprint Prepaid Customer Care by dialing 855-639-4644.

If you’re a member of the U.S. military deployed overseas and you want your Sprint phone unlocked, the aforementioned requirements still apply. In addition, you and any relatives on the same account must be active members of a branch of the United States military, and need to have overseas deployment papers, if applicable.

There’s a massive caveat when it comes to Sprint’s unlocking capabilities, however. Because the carrier, like Verizon, relies on a relatively obscure networking technology (CDMA), Sprint-branded phones that have been manufactured with a SIM slot within the past few years can’t be unlocked to accept a different carrier’s SIM card.

Sprint says that domestic SIM card-based devices launched after 2015 will automatically unlock when they become eligible. Alternatively, you can request an unlock either through an online chat with a customer representative or by calling 888-211-4727 (*2 from a Sprint device).

Uniquely, Sprint offers short-term unlocking for international travel. Assuming you meet the above requirements, you can log into your online account and navigate to the relevant page. Simply click on the My Account tab, pick your phone from the resulting list, and select Unlock device to use int’l SIM from the Manage this device drop-down menu. If you’d rather have a Sprint rep walk you through the process, though, you can request an over-the-phone unlock at 888-226-7212.

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